Most Important Market Event? IBM's Artificial Neuron

The 2016 Finance Magnates London Summit is around the corner and many of the Summit’s leading speakers have already started to weigh in on the event as well as some of the challenges facing global markets. Finance Magnates spoke with Chris Ward, CEO of Star Hat Solutions, who gave his perspective on a number of issues currently enveloping the financial services industry.

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What is your position and what does your role entail?

I’m the CEO of Star Hat Solutions and my role consists of product strategy and direction and sales, whilst still being hands-on with development. This helps to understand the latest shifts in the industry, to make us responsive and agile in every sense of the word.

What was the single most important event or development that the market saw in 2016?

I believe significant events in history start small. For that reason, quite unexpectedly I guess, my choice would go to IBMs’ creation of an artificial neuron this year.

It’s not significant to our market right now, but it may be looked back on as incredibly significant. At the moment, we have still people programming the algorithms we use. This may well mean the computers become better at determining the mathematics than us. I’ve heard this since the 1990s but it may now finally be coming true.

What are the biggest challenges that the FX trading community is facing? How do they affect your field?

Regulation Regulation Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Read this Term – we ensure our products are designed to work flexibly and productively in a highly regulated framework. Some of the software solutions we’ve encountered cannot say the same.

What is the main message you’d like to convey to London Summit delegates?

The future is an exciting, vibrant and technology-driven place. I’m extremely positive for everyone’s future.

Chris Ward, CEO of Star Hat Solutions, will take part in the London Summit's FX Factor, a product pitch held at the Institutional Lounge. Learn more here.